ND Preview

B. Report

Time: 7:30
Location: South Bend
TV:  NBC
Weather: High 58 with 60% chance of rain
Line: Michigan +5





I'm going a different route with the preview this week.  Usually, I would talk about how I'm concerned about Michigan's offensive line vs. maybe the best front 7 in college football.   That ND will take away Denard running the ball and will challenge him to beat them with his arm.   Or that ND's freshman QB is due to make a few big mistakes and the Michigan's defense has to force some turnovers to win this game. 

I'm not going there this week. 

I want to talk about Art.  I want to talk about Denard.  

I am 100% guilty of focusing on the negatives with the Wolverines.  This group can't block, this group isn't catching the ball and so on.   I also get too worked (mostly during games) about how Michigan is going to win or lose. 

I'm not going there this week. 

I want to talk about the artist that is Denard Robinson.   We all love to watch special talents, whether it's a painter, actor, singer sculptor or athlete.   We marvel at the talent that we don't have (but probably wish we did).   The creativity and talent is amazing. 

When I focus on WR's not catching the ball or the Oline missing blocks.  I miss one of the few opportunities we have left to watch one of the best runners the Maize and Blue has ever seen.   His ability to start and stop and then accelerate is something I have never seen in a Michigan uniform.  He is an artist and his canvas is a football field.

The artist known as Shoelace has done some of his best work against Notre Dame.  In his last two games against ND he is just 50 yards short of 1000 yards and has 8 touchdowns.  Not sure why his masterpieces have been at the expense of the Fighting Irish but let's hope he has another one in him.

Yes, ND will do what every team tries to do in taking away Denard's running lanes and Yes, this might be the best ND team in the last 10 years. Case in point was how ND went into East Lansing last weekend and shut down the Spartans by playing sound defense and not making mistakes on offense.  But Wolverine fans seem to be pretty confident this week with #16 in the backfield. 

This weekend I'm not going to sweat the details and just enjoy the Art of Shoelace.  I want to see how his ND body of work finishes.

Michigan 24 ND 21

Go Blue